Fast Track Visual Basic .NET [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Rocky Lhotka (Author), Billy Hollis (Author)

Book Description

Series: Programmer to Programmer | Publication Date: May 2002

Now that the .NET Framework and the Visual Studio .NET IDE have been officially released by Microsoft, it is imperative for developers to get up to speed with the new .NET languages quickly and effectively. The purpose of this book is to act as the tool for this task, helping experienced Visual Basic developers note the key similarities, and differences, between their current language and Visual Basic .NET.

The focus of this book is on the overall capabilities of the new language, delivering a rapid and concise introduction to Visual Basic .NET and includes the most important features required by a Visual Basic developer to begin using Visual Basic .NET. The intent is not to give an encyclopedic coverage of Visual Basic .NET, but rather, to get Visual Basic developers using Visual Basic .NET efficiently as quickly as possible.

An update to the acclaimed VB.NET Programming with the Public Beta by the same authors, this book has been revised and tested for the final release of the .NET Framework. Topics covered include:

An introduction to the .NET Framework, including new IDE and language features
New Windows user interface capabilities
New object-oriented and web capabilities of Visual Basic .NET
Data access using Visual Basic .NET
Installation and deployment
Interoperability and migration

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Aimed at the Visual Basic 6 programmer turning to .NET for the first time, Fast Track Visual Basic .NET provides a worthy, fast-paced introduction to the features and APIs working developers need to get started with VB .NET. The salient feature of this book is its compact size and fast-moving yet approachable tutorial to the new version of Visual Basic. Co-written by VB 6 expert author Rockford Lhotka, this title's focus is on what's new and improved in .NET while making a good many connections with the old VB along the way.

Early sections look at the big picture in .NET, with special attention to how Microsoft's newest platform upgrade improves on earlier COM and DNA. (Interestingly, the authors argue that the older COM standard is not going away anytime soon.) A standout section of this book is the feature-by-feature language tutorial for making the transition between VB 6 and VB .NET, with highlighted material on programming "gotchas"--with arrays and data types, for example.

Instead of comprehensive coverage of programming topics, several sections cover the basics of writing applications for Windows Forms (on the client) and later Web Forms (on the server) with added coverage of ADO.NET for database programming (including new XML support). These sections will serve to get you started on your own programs with some notably clear examples of essential APIs and concepts.

Material on the extensive object abilities of VB .NET will likely be quite daunting to many VB 6 veterans, but the in-depth tutorial here will help you master new .NET features for modeling objects. Later sections delve into some advanced topics that can be read on a need-to-know basis, like .NET remoting, threading, and building Windows services. For all readers, final sections on the deployment options available in VB .NET are a must (including how to create installation programs).

While the later sections of this text stress high-end .NET features, there's still plenty of very accessible material for those making the leap to basic VB .NET. Overall, this title is a strong choice for those many VB developers who will have to retool their skills for .NET quickly. The digestible format here can definitely simplify this transition for a good many readers. --Richard Dragan

Product Details

• Paperback: 500 pages
• Publisher: Wrox Press; 1st edition (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861007124
• ISBN-13: 978-1861007124
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,374,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction into the real world of VB.NET, July 31, 2002

By 

Mark Horner (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fast Track Visual Basic .NET (Paperback)

Fast Track Visual Basic.NET is an excellent follow-up book to the successful Public Beta version. I constantly use this book in the first instance, rather than the larger Professional Desktop books - because it provides me with concise & pragmatic explanations of the key technical issues in a manner that is intuitive.

Back in early 2001, when Visual Studio.NET public beta was released I rushed out and bought a copy of VB.NET Programming With the Public Beta & C# Programming With the Public Beta. Recently I had the pleasure of working as a technical reviewer on both of the sequels: I am a time-poor developer and architect and rely on ensuring that I have access to quality information and value greatly a concise real-world professional explanation.

Generally, as busy developers, we do not have the time to read a book from cover to cover but I found that the Fast Track book is actually well-suited for this because it is so well written and full of interesting issues; although it is also great to use simply as a reference book. But what really sells me on this book is its professional and friendly atmosphere; the craftsmanship of the authors; choice of content and clarity of explanation.

A risk facing many VB.NET developers is that they will not comprehensively understand full Object Orientated programming nor the broader functionality of .NET; having been nurtured on legacy VB's. A C++ or Java developer moving to C# will have an enormous advantage over a legacy VB developer; however this book provides an excellent chapter that simply and clearly articulates the new object-orientated capabilities of our language in a manner that quickly offers the opportunity to bridge the gap.

Apart from the expected syntax and ADO.NET chapters there is excellent discussion of creating a Windows Service, Installation & Deployment and the big issue of Interoperability and Migration (invoking COM and calling Windows API's and using the migration wizard).

The book is full of explanations that simplify complex issues, that are well supported by short, realistic & pragmatic examples and offers a comprehensive understanding of our new & very powerful development paradigm.